


friends au: the one where kris comes back

by neoragodestiny



Series: friends au [1]
Category: Super Junior-M, f(x)
Genre: F/M, Friends AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-25 23:32:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14987945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neoragodestiny/pseuds/neoragodestiny
Summary: friends au: the one where kris comes back





	friends au: the one where kris comes back

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: SO this has been half finished in my drafts for ages (like early 2015 ages ha h ah ah aha), but huzzah it’s done!!  
> [this is a series that has only been posted on LJ for now, but I will crosspost to AFF & AO3 in due course]

"No! There is absolutely no way we’re watching that stupid show of yours. I told you that I wanted to watch Frozen tonight," Amber folds her arms across her chest. 

"Amber, come onnnn," Henry whines, "You haven't watched anything _but_ Frozen every night for the last three weeks. Can we _please_ try something else?"

"No! I told you - "

"Guys, stop it, please," Eric groans, head hitting the back of the armchair in defeat. 

"Shut up, Eric," Henry and Amber say in unison. Amy gives him a sympathetic look from where she’s serving another customer, because she can hear the whole thing.

“Look, I’m just saying - ” Henry starts, but Amber just clamps her hands over her ears, starting to hum loudly.

"Nothing's changed, I see,"

Three heads turn to see a tall guy in a suit with light brown hair towering behind Henry and Amber. He gives them a lopsided smile and their mouths drop open.

"Kris?!"

 

"Dude, I thought you were like, some big-shot business guy in Hong Kong," Amber says.

Kris shrugs, taking a gulp of coffee. Amy is on her break and is sitting on the arm of Eric's chair. They had linked hands almost immediately, on instinct more than anything, and Kris had raised an eyebrow. He had also noted the way Henry had shifted towards Amber to make room for him on the couch, sitting closer than they used to be comfortable with. He put two and two together pretty quickly.

His only comment, for both, was: "Finally,"

Now, they’re all sitting on the couch in the coffee shop, trying to understand how their friend from college was back from Hong Kong.

"The company was inherited by the CEO's son and he was driving it into the ground in less than two months, so I decided to quit while they can still pay my redundancy package," Kris says, shrugging like it’s not a big deal.

"But why back here?" Henry asks, "Surely you could get jobs in Hong Kong?"

"Most of the jobs I applied for - being an English correspondent in the company - were taken, but someone told me the other end was actually the one needing people - English speaking countries needing Mandarin speaking correspondents. So I’m back in town to try and check out my options.”

"Maaaaan," Amber sighs, "Maybe I should look too, then I wouldn't have to work such random hours,"

Henry gives her a look. "Amber, you can't even ask for directions in Mandarin, how do you plan to translate and correspond whole documents about engineering, or anything at all?"

"I could do it about food!"

"You know like three foods in Mandarin,"

Kris grins. "You guys really haven't changed,"

Henry scrunches his nose. "I don't know whether to be offended or not."

"Well, I'm definitely offended," Amber says, folding her arms across her chest. "I'd like to think I've changed since college,"

"Nah, you're still crazy," Henry says. Amber scowls and hits his shoulder so hard even Eric and Amy hear it, from the armchair at the end of the couch. Henry cradles his wounded shoulder and flops over her lap, whimpering. Amber ignores him.

"The only way you've changed is being a little less dense," Kris says, "Because you realised that this doofus was in love with you," he jerks a thumb at Henry who was still lying on Amber’s lap, but sits up at the indirect mentioning of him.

"Hey! I’m not a doofus!"

"Henry hasn't changed at all, because I bet he didn't even realise until you spelt it out for him," Kris says.

Amber laughs. "That's true!"

Henry gapes. "It is not!"

“It actually kind of is, Henry,” Amy says with a bashful grin when Henry squints at her, while Amber laughs loudly.

“So where are you staying in the meantime? Aren’t your folks in Canada?” Eric asks.

Kris sighs. “Yeah. I’m staying at a hotel not far from here, but I’ll start looking for an apartment soon, especially if I find a job here.”

“Where else are you looking?” 

“Still got my contacts looking out for stuff for me in Hong Kong,” Kris says, finishing his coffee, “I’m here to meet with some people to look around New York, I have some people looking in L.A., Vegas, Seattle, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, anywhere this side of the world really,”

“Surely it’s not that hard to find the work you do,” Amy looks a little baffled.

“My expertise is pretty specific, I guess. I could find anything in translating, but if I want my exact area it’s either fight tooth and nail for one of the few established companies, or try and find a promising starting company,” Kris says. 

“We should go out tonight,” Henry says suddenly, eyes bright and shining.

“I don’t think students appreciate a hungover teacher, Henry,” Eric says.

“And I’m working tonight,” Amy says, almost pouting.

“I have an early class to teach tomorrow too,” Amber says.

Henry groans. “You’re all _boring_ ,”

Kris chuckles. “I’m pretty tired too, Henry. Why not another day this week?”

“Thursday?” Amber suggests. “Henry and Eric will have work the next day, but Amy isn’t at the cafe or the bar Thursday night and I only have afternoon classes on Friday,”

“You’re just looking out for yourself,” Henry scowls.

Amber sticks her tongue out at him.

“Actually, Thursday does work for me. I don’t have a class first period Friday, so I don’t start as early,” Eric says.

Henry whimpers. “I have a meeting Friday morning,”

“Who puts a meeting on Friday morning?” Amber grumbles.

Kris laughs. “I’ll be here for a few weeks at least, don’t worry if you can’t do this week,” He glances at his watch. “Actually, I should probably be heading back to the hotel, I have a dinner meeting tonight,”

Henry grabs his wrist and sits forward, face serious as he looks at all of them. “Wait. We sort this out. No one leaves until we do,”

“I have to get back to work, actually…” Amy says, face apologetic. “But Amber has my work schedule, so just let me know,”

She kisses Eric’s cheek before getting up and back to serving coffee and cakes.

“I actually really do have to go,” Kris says, getting to his feet, “but just message me, I should be fine most nights. I’ll give you guys my new number,” he says, waving his phone before walking out.

Henry sighs heavily as Eric’s phone beeps. He answers it, face puzzled. “Hello?” his face immediately changes to one of worry before he gets to his feet. “What? Right, okay. Yeah, I’ll head over right now,”

He hangs up, putting on his coat and scarf. “Sorry guys, emergency at school. Just text me whatever day, and I’ll make it work, okay?” and then he dashes out of the cafe, coat half on and scarf trailing behind him.

Henry makes a face, sulking. A tug on his arm reminds him that Amber, his one and only girlfriend, is still sitting beside him. She has a smile on her face as Henry makes a face at her.

“Are you going to leave me too?” he tries for his best pouting face.

Amber smiles, soft and serene and brushes his fringe away from his forehead. “Not if we can watch Frozen tonight,” she says gently.

Henry groans. “Amber, please, you’re going to kill me if I have to hear ‘Do you want to build a snowman?’ one more time,” he pleads, trying to give her puppy eyes.

“Then I’m leaving,” Amber says, getting to her feet and Henry scrambles to grab her wrist.

“Nooooo, Amber, please,” his bottom lip quivers for a moment before he sighs. “Okay, okay, fine, we can watch Frozen, _again_.”

Amber smirks, sits back down on the couch and throws her legs across Henry’s lap. “That’s more like it,” she wraps her arms around his neck as she kisses his nose, and then his lips. “So, why did you want me to stay?” 

“Uh,” Henry has that dazed, dopey look on his face that he gets whenever Amber is being openly affectionate. “It doesn’t matter?” he tries and Amber laughs into his shoulder.

“Idiot,” she chuckles, then actually starts planning the group catch up like Henry wanted.

 

Amber figures out a Friday night where they’re all free, and it doesn’t look like anyone might lose their job if they’re hungover the next day. Amy has a shift at the bar, but that’s not a big deal, since she can just come over to sit with them in her breaks, and after she finishes.

Kevin waves at Kris when he sees him, and Eric takes ages to come back with their drinks because he gets caught up with Kevin, talking about something or other.

But eventually, the five of them are squished in a circle booth, several drinks on the table in front of them, and knocking glasses together as they cheers.

Amy has two sips of her her water before kissing Eric’s cheek (leaving a red lipstick mark) and then leaving to go get ready for her shift.

“So how’s the job hunting going?” Henry asks while Eric works on fighting down his blush, while Amber grins at him and keeps nudging him.

“Pretty good,” Kris says. “I might get an offer for a company here, but there’s another one in Vancouver looking like they’re going to give me an offer too. Another one in Hong Kong is looking pretty promising too, so I’ll have to see what each of them offer before I decide.”

“Ergh, to be smart and getting multiple offers with loads of money,” Amber grabs her beer and chugs it down.

“Amber, you are smart,” Henry says comfortingly. “It’s just a different kind,”

“Don’t be patronizing,” Amber glares at him, crossing her arms across her chest.

“I’m not!” he cries.

Amber scowls at him and Henry sighs, hugging her tightly and murmuring softly in her ear until she slowly lowers her arms and turns to smile at him softly.

Kris watches them with a small smile, while Eric watches the stage where Amy has taken her position in front of the microphone.

“Good evening everyone,” Amy says, small smile gracing her lips as her gaze lands on Eric and the rest of them. “Let’s start slow, shall we?”

As Amy goes through her set of songs, Eric, Amber, Kris and Henry listen, only chatting a little in between her switching songs.

Amy takes her break after a while, stopping by to talk to Kevin for a minute before coming back to their booth. She slides in beside Eric as they all applaud her and she smiles shyly.

“How was it?” she asks, but pointedly looking at Eric.

“It was great,” he murmurs, arm looping around her waist. Amy beams and kisses him quickly, pleased.

“Please don’t make it painful for me as a fifth wheel,” Kris says, though his words have no bite. Amber laughs and Eric goes pink, clearing his throat as Amy smiles shyly.

“Sorry, Kris. What did I miss out on?” she asks as she picks up her glass of water.

“Not much, we were mostly watching you,” Henry says. “I still can’t believe you’re not signed yet, Amy, honestly,”

“Well, that’d be mostly ‘cause I’m not trying that hard,” Amy laughs. “Most people record demo CDs and hand them out and sing in different places to try and get more exposure, but I’m happy here, so I’m not doing any of that,”

“If you do record one, let me know, I have some contacts in the music industry, at least in Hong Kong,” Kris says.

Amy’s eyes are bright. “Wow, really? That’s awesome. I’ll let you know if I ever get around to it,” she laughs.

“Kris is either going to be here, Vancouver or Hong Kong, by the way,” Amber says.

“Those are the most promising options at the moment,” Kris corrects.

“If you’re looking for an apartment here, I think the man downstairs with three cats might be moving out,” Amy says.

“Really?” Amber asks. “Is he moving back in with his daughter in Alabama?”

“I thought I accidentally killed one of those cats last year,” Henry murmurs.

“How did you ‘accidentally’ kill a cat, Henry?” Eric asks, incredulous.

“I think he’s going to a nursing home,” Amy says.

“I thought it was a giant rat and threw a bag of rubbish at it, and it didn’t move for ages,” Henry says, looking guilty.

“I can’t even follow this conversation,” Kris says with a sigh.

Amber laughs. “This is what being with us is like, Kris, better get used to it if you’re going to be moving back into the neighbourhood,” she wraps an arm around his broad shoulders.

“You mean I should get used to being a fifth wheel?” Kris raises an eyebrow at her. 

Amber scoffs. “Please, I’m more likely to kill Henry in public than kiss him, it’s only Eric and Amy you have to worry about,”

“Hey!” Henry protests as Eric and Amy go pink.

“Besides, who says you have to be a fifth wheel?” Amber easily redirects the conversation. “You got any love life to tell us about?”

“I worked ridiculous hours in Hong Kong and spent every spare moment either in meetings or asleep,” Kris deadpans.

“Hey, you could be having some wild office romance, who are we to know?” Henry points out.

For once, Kris looks flustered and Amber laughs loudly.

“I have to go back now,” Amy says, glancing at the clock. She glances at them all nervously before quickly kissing the corner of Eric’s mouth and darting out of the booth.

“You guys have to stop being so cute or I’ll refuse to see you both in the same room together,” Amber mutters. Eric is still pink when he sticks his tongue out at her.

 

The next time the five of them get together, it’s at the coffee shop on a weekend. The couch has been taken, so they’re all squished around a small table in the corner.

“Are you going to be taking that apartment downstairs, Kris?” Amy asks as she brings the coffees over. She’s not working at the moment, and yet somehow she still seems to be serving coffee. They all thank her and Eric smiles and tangles their hands together when she takes a seat.

“No, actually,” Kris says as he grabs a cookie. “I came to tell you guys I’m leaving in two days,”

“What?!”

“I took the job in Vancouver, so I have to go back to Hong Kong, organise all my stuff and then fly back to Vancouver to start my life there,” Kris says before sipping at his coffee.

“Aw, man,” Amber looks defeated, “I was hoping you’d stay and keep bullying Henry with me,”

“You were _planning_ to bully me?” Henry cries.

Amber grins at him. “Frozen every night for the rest of our days,” she whispers. Henry almost scrambles out of his chair in horror.

“Amber, that’s almost break-up worthy,” he hisses.

“You wouldn’t break up with me, you need me to maintain normal human function,” Amber says, but she punctuates it with a quick kiss and a hand tangling with his under the table.

Kris raises an eyebrow at them. “So much for being more likely to kill him than kiss him,” he says.

Amber winks at him as she picks up her coffee and takes a sip.

“Will you come back this way much?” Eric asks.

Kris hums. “I’ll probably have meetings around the US, so yeah I’d probably end up coming this way once in a while,” he smiles. “Besides, I’d have to come see you guys every now and again to know Amber hasn’t killed Henry yet, right?”

“Right!” Amber says too quickly and too cheerfully. Henry grumbles something about abusive girlfriends. Amber kicks his shin and Henry’s forehead hits the coffee table as he groans in agony.

“I’d say we should catch up before you go, but two days isn’t very long,” Amy says, glancing at the others, “and I know most of us are busy the next few days,”

Kris waves it off. “Don’t worry it about it. I’m not dying, just going to work in the next country over. I’ll be back, don’t worry,” he smiles. “It was good to see you guys again, even if only for a little bit,”

“It was good to see you too, man,” Henry says, lifting his head from the table to smile at Kris and hold out a hand. They share a handshake before Amber just leans over to wrap her arms around Kris’s shoulders.

“I’m going to miss you, again,” she murmurs. Kris just chuckles and pats her back.

“Don’t kill Henry while I’m gone,” he says as he pulls away. “I’m really happy for you guys, by the way,” he says, “all of you. It was a long time coming, but I’m still glad it happened,”

His phone beeps in his pocket. “Shit, another meeting,” he sighs as he looks at it. He gets to his feet, and they all stand too. “I have to go, but I’ll see you guys soon, whenever that is,” he grins.

“Take care, Kris,” Eric says, shaking his hand. Amy leans over to give him a quick hug.

“Good luck, guys,” Kris smiles. “I’ll message you guys when I’m next in town,”

And then with a swish of his long coat, he’s out the doors and hailing a taxi.

“Wow, in like a whirlwind, and _whoosh_ he’s going to be gone again,” Amber sighs as they all sit down again, after Kris’s taxi disappears around the corner.

“It’s okay, he’ll be around,” Henry smiles, squeezing her hand. “And we’re all still here,”

“That’s right,” Eric says, beaming and Amy smiles, leaning on his shoulder.

Amber takes a deep breath and then smiles, serene. “You’re right,” she picks up her coffee cup and raises it, ”To friendship,” she says. They clink their mugs, and sip the warm liquid as the cafe buzzes around them, and life goes on.

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: So yes, originally Kris was going to be one of the ‘friends’ and this was going to be a permanent addition to the group BUT since kris left (way back when) and his friendship with henry & amber is pretty much non-existent now, I don’t feel it appropriate to keep him in anymore  
> But this existed (and rina made an edit with him) and I did want to have him in it, so I just made it temporary instead~  
> Hope you liked it!


End file.
